Where Sixpack lies

The doctor's have still not finished their work here. After 5 visits to PT I'm not much ahead of where I started. Still in pain, and still not running. Hell, with teaching and work I haven't even been swimming, but that's alright. I'll get back to that next week when my prospectus is done.
I'm not running, I'm not drinking, I'm not even talking most days, but my Berkeley Exile has been amazingly productive. I'm feeling much like the Dalai Lama who was ripped from his people and his homeland and sent wandering in the desert. (Yes, I know it's not a desert, but the image was too powerful to pass up.)
I'm jealous of those of you that still have your mobility, and can't wait to get back out there. I miss running like I miss Max Headroom. It's this nagging feeling that life could be so much better, if only.... I'm not really on here to complain, but to let you all know that I am still working toward getting better, and as soon as September hits you better look out! Cuz I'm gonna try running again, and if i works there will be no stopping me.

Post Schmost

So, I have been running. But it hasn't been anything I am overly proud to write about. Right now it is just survival running. You know you are totally crap when the rednecks no longer honk their horns or stick their toothless heads out of their pickup trucks and hoot at you. Ahhh, the good old days.

I suppose today was something of a milestone. I waited until 7:45 p.m. to hit the pavement. It wasn't much cooler, but I'll take anything right now. Trying to outrun mosquitos is also a nice motivator. I ran 5.25 miles today. This is the first time I have broken that damn 4 mile curse since June 4th.

Besides the heat, I think the biggest thing holding me back has been my left calf. I am not quite sure what is wrong, but it bothered me when I tried running even short 1.5 mi. distances during the "lockdown." I think I must be overpronating, because I cannot find any other cause. I bought an adjustable ankle brace, but I think I am just going to have to break down and spend the money to go to the specialist. Argh! You know it sucks when you have health insurance but you can't afford to use it :) Anywho, once I get my calf/ankle straightened out, I should be able to increase both distance and speed. Right now I am still hovering around the 8:30-8:40 pace.

I just wanted to chime in so that DJ wasn't carrying the drunken burden all on his own! Speaking of which, where is my dearest sister Ginifer???? I know she has been running, now she just needs to start posting.

Take care of your backs! Don't do anything that you are gonna regret when you are 50 or 60 (like three knee surgeries....)

New shoes STILL WAITING!!

Well folks like my brother sixpack I'm still sidelined. I went out for an all out walk last week (quick tempo using the arms like when ya run) and had to stop at a mile because I was having back pain. Not a lot just a little tickle of it but I've learned when I start to feel it, stop immediately and tell Sibel to f!*k off. I can't stand this, when I was speed walking all I wanted to do was run, I wanted to take off and just go until like PP I let my last meal come up to say hello to the world again!Tomorrow the 24TH in the morning I go to see the Neurosurgeon, I plan to tell him if the knife is what it takes to run again then start cutting. Dee you and PP have to keep up the great work, I promise as soon as I can run I'm pulling the brand new Brooks out of the closet plugging in the Nike+ and running until I just can't take another step or I can't spit on myself which ever comes first. Keep up the great work you keep Sixpack and I motivated to get back out. I believe it's true for both of us, but I know for me that I have been bouncing off the walls. who new that the man I was last year would turn into a man that wanted to run just for pure enjoyment of it and that's all. I'll post the results from my appointment tomorrow.

Hating Life!!!

Hello all, I'm writing to say that I have nothing to write about. I'm not running. In fact, I'm having difficulty walking. Early progress in back recovery has been lost. I'm still going to PT, but am in pain most of the day. Therefore no running, no swimming, no nothing.
I'm going to try to get a grip and do some swimming next week, but with exams coming up I've been working hard on teaching and studying, so I'm a pretty sedentary beast these days.
Keep the posts coming, as they are motivating regardless of my inabilities.
DJ you are the best!!! Keep carrying the torch and we will follow!!!!!

Run Lun Dun

My big secret plan for last week was to only run three times but run ten miles each time. By using my advanced humanities degree, I calculated that would give me 46 miles for the seven day period. I changed my mind somewhere during the first run though, and settled for 22 miles on four runs, which went something like ten miles, five miles, four miles, three miles. Only slightly off plan.

But then, if I really thought I was going to do it, I would have told you about it beforehand.

SO, Monday brought a new week, and with it a new challenge. Since I'm in London temporarily for Tessa's birthday and a job interview, I decided to integrate "The Big Smoke" into my madness: And I ran from Tessa's parent's house to St. Pauls. The Nike (Plus) gave me 10.5 miles for the run, but I think it was closer to 11...but that's not important. What is important is that I experienced an East End safari like no other, starting in the humble burough of Redbridge before running to Wanstead, and then following the Leytonstone High Street until it turned into Mile End and curved into the city near Aldgate. I hung a left and shot down to the river, leaving the commercial turmoil only to emerge directly where the tourist turmoil begins. I then followed the river (more or less directly) to the Millennium Bridge, where I hit the stairs to St. Pauls and,um, stopped. I vaguely wanted to keep going to Parliament, but I was exhausted from counting eel and pie shops (of which there are millions) and meditating on the fact that no matter how I say the word "Eastenders", Tessa still corrects my intonation. (See, you have to stress this syllable, not that one.) If you know anything about London, then you can probably appreciate the feeling of running through so many buroughs, running from the fourth zone to the first, and running past all of the traffic lining up at the points where the congestion charges begin. Even though I only ran ten miles on paper, the run had a vaguely bigger "feel" to it, knowing that I covered a distance between two points that most sane people would only attempt with the subway or train.

One more thing: Two days ago I passed a milestone with Nike (+)! Since I ran 13 miles between getting this fun little device and New Years, this means I still have another 8 miles until I hit 500 in this calendar year. So join me as we count it down and celebrate yourselves while motivating yourselves to get back out there. Remember, I only ran 600 miles all last year, and these 500 miles have come after a two month injury layoff when I seriously questioned whether I would ever run again. You guys are doing great with your rehab, and there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. Run to it.

Lemonade for sale

You know what they say when life hands you lemons make lemon aide. Wouldn't it be easier if life just didn't hand you lemons. I've had to give Sibel a kick in the crotch with a round house to spin her, so I could kick her ass in to the pool of lemon aide. This winter she was try to get me to push myself further than I should, guess what, SHE'S BAAAAAAAAAACK trying the same shit. I was basically grounded, been off work for the last month, I thought I would be board but with classes 4 nights a week I've been loving it.
I went back to the Dr. yesterday, because I've been having more back issues. Still with the almost constant lower back pain and now I'm getting muscle spasm's in the mid back with numbness in my right tricep, my right side and three fingers on my right hand. They (and the they are the doctors and the PT's) don't even want me to run at all zilch or swim, so I will have to calibrate the walking part on the I-pod, I can't wait. I go in for another MRI on the 18Th and then to a nuero surgeon on the twenty fourth to see if he or she can give me relief and get me back to running.
So there you have it, no more miles or laps.... nothing I can feel proud about reporting until I don't know when. OH HELL I'll post my walking and be proud and you'll all like it or at least pretend like you do and tell me hell yeah grandpa kick that walkers ass. On the plus side I've been fine tuning my drinking skills, I can't let all the training go to waste, if one drops off make up for it by doing the other twice as much..... hell three times as much.
Until I calibrate the I-pod for my walks I bid you farewell.

Miles: NOTTA

Time: NOTHING

Pace: about four beers an hour for an extended period of time. I'm gonna follow the running traing schedule and try to in crease that by 10% a week. If I feel good I'll go to 30 % a week.

Overall impression: I'm glad it's beer tent season the beer may be light and flat...but hey at least the scenery is good! (IGIBTSTBMBLAF...BHATSIG!)

10 miles, a parade, and a lot of bad wine

I wanted to bring my camera with me on my run today and take snippets of the route I've been running for the past year and post them here. This would have been both a tribute to the path itself and a way of bidding it adieu before the move. I think I've written this before, but the courses I continually run along develop a sort of talismanic power for me. I run faster and easier when I know the distances between landmarks. The landmarks themselves become friends I look forward to seeing. I usually need to know when the next hill is coming, and I always need to know how far I am from the end otherwise I exhaust myself wondering how close I am, usually by counting songs that have played on the iPod and multiplying the number by 3:30, and using that to guess how long I've been running.

Anyway, the camera isn't working, and there are no pics...

I'm going to miss running in Cologne. I will miss seeing all of the other runners who, like me, exploit the quick escape out of the city that the canals provide, leading to the Stadtwald and the stadium and the peaceful tree-lined streets where the RAF used to kidnap people. These running paths have treated me well over the past year, and I have no idea what to expect in London. Maybe I'll have to take the subway to a park? Maybe I can run along the Thames? Maybe I'll just run around the house, like when I was a kid and we played 'Dukes of Hazzard' by converting the sofa into the General Lee and followed that with two hour arguments over who got to be Bo. Maybe I'll have to run on the left hand of the path, and before I properly adjust to that, will slam into someone running in a bowler hat...

I had to wake up early to run today because I wanted to get it out of the way before the Christopher Street Day Parade, which is specifically a great expression for gay pride (and this here is a big gay town) while generally another excuse for the good people of Cologne to go absolutely insane. Everyone delivered on all counts. At the time, I didn't realize that I started at 8 in order to ensure I wouldn't miss the gimp-cage-on-wheels...but I gotta say, it was worth it. The only problem with waking up early was that my neighbor invited me over to his place last night to attack every bottle of bad wine he had in his pantry. It was either that or watch "An Inconvenient Truth'" alone, and I opted to try the German equivalent of Trader Joe's Syrah while drunkenly defending, yet again, why so few Americans have passports. Anyway,when I woke up, the tannins were killing me so I chugged some water and ate some Wheatabix and headed out for a ten mile run. All in all, it went well. I've run ten miles for the past three Sundays in order to set the tone for my "at-least-twenty-a-week" plan, which is just a vague way to keep a base until I figure out what I want to train for.

It had all the makings of a run that PP and Sixpack would be proud of: I had salt crystals around both my eyes, and I managed to spit on my own face just before the sixth mile. I found some old Gu in a kitchen cabinet the other day and brought that along because my breakfast seemed pretty meager, so I spent the entire way home burping while my stomach tried to process it on no water...The weather was stunning, but it started to get too warm towards the end, which might have slowed me down. I'm still content to hover around 8:45 for now, and I keep telling myself I'll add in speed work next week...

Last week I only ran three days (10, 6, 4 miles), but have been pretty comfortable with four runs per week recently. Here are my last five or so, as plotted by the good people at nike:



I've had a hard time balancing my usual running routine with work, since I've been trying to stay on top of the writing and hitting different archives over the past few weeks. This means that I'm sometimes running a lot later than I would like, or even early mornings (much more rare). The obvious great thing about combining running and work is the endorphine rush that helps me "unwind" after a stressful day of frantic writing. Anticipating this usually leads to me say funny things along the lines of "I need a run" around 5 PM, in which the paradigm "run" has somehow taken the place that "cigarette" or "beer" used to hold. This seems to be more evidence that running is an illicit substance in its own right, while also showing how punk rock I am not.

So, it sounds like encouraging progress is being made in the PP camp! I think running until you dry heave is a sign that you are on the quick road to regaining your speed. don't fuck around! And I want to see those speedo pics, Sixpack. You can't just promise that without delivering! The swimming should enable you to maintain your muscle tone without forcing your joints to break down any more, and the PT will hopefully eliminate the cause of the problems. You're almost there, I can sense it! Let me know as soon as you are ready to set up a new challenge. You started out fantastic on the last one, and if camp hadn't happened, I think it would have gone down to the wire. And Forest, you're just a stud. You'll be running in no time.

I have big plans for next week's runs. I can't tell about them now, because I'll need something to post about when/if I survive. But it should shake things up...shake things up, indeed. It might even involve...speed work.

Pavement Pounder who?

Hello there my long lost running friends. I have seen the light and am returning to the flock after having been the wayward runner. No more Paris Hilton lockdown for me, although Larry King doesn't seem to have noticed.

I owe you a post. I owe you a post that has nothing to do with my dissertation. It'll be hard, but here I go.

I ran. I really did it! I ran. I ran a whole whopping 4 miles yesterday. While it was a real struggle after mile 1, I pushed through and at least completed it. I told myself starting out that I couldn't expect the times that I had run over a month ago, which I was fine with. I told myself, the big goal was actually just to finish four miles - I don't know why, but four miles has now become my standard minimum distance, anything below that feels like something other than a run.

It is utterly amazing how a month of minimal running - I had run a total of 15.5 miles in the last month, a distance that before I would have easily run in a week- can make you feel like you are starting over at square one. Furthermore, who knew how quickly all that muscletone disappears and is replaced by fat. Booooo!!!!

I have a sneeking suspicion, however, that had it not been in the 80s with 85% humidity at 7:30 at night, I wouldn't have felt so totally annihilated. But there is just no getting away from this weather. According to weather.com, I could run at 1 am and it would still feel like 88 degrees and be 90% humidity. So I just have to become a reptile and develop gills until September comes around.

Back to running/not running. Over the last month I had run a few 4 milers but mostly just short 1.5-2milers with Ben. While they weren't satisfying, they at least kept me in the mindset of running, which is important. And while I hated almost every minute of last night's run - like Deetschei, when I run, I normally use the time to think about other things, but this time I couldn't think about anything other than breathing and not passing out from heat exhaustion - it felt really great! I put on a new pair of running shoes. I had been having horrible half pains despite the infrequent running, so I thought a change of shoes might help, which it did. Tonight I will not, however, wear a baseball cap. With all that hair on my head, the last thing I need is yet another layer of insulation to keep the heat from escaping. So, kids. I am slowly making a comeback and hopefully I haven't put myself too far behind for my marathon training plan. As it stands now, I should be back at my previous pace before I need to start the actually training in August/Sept.

Running Stats for yesterday:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35.06 (okay, so I know that doesn't sound like a bad time, but that doesn't include the stops every mile in order to catch my breath and bend over to get the blood back into my head)
Pace: 8:46

Overall Impression: Remember pickled red beet eggs? Well, my face was that kind of red and it wasn't a sunburn! I liked it so much, I'm gonna do it agian. (RPRBE?WMFWTKORAIWAS!ILISMIGDIA)

More posts to come!

The Neo-Nazi Swimmer

So, I'm standing on BART this morning on my way to Berkeley and a PT appoitment. I'm diligently reading for my Qualifying Exams, while on the train, thus killing two birds with one stone. When suddenly the image I am projecting hits me. I'm a man with a shaved head, wearing a Black, Red and Yellow bag, reading Mein Kampf, and to make matters worse, I'M TAKING NOTES!!!!! It's no wonder no one wanted to sit by me. The fact that I was listening to RuPaul on my iPod went unfortunately unnoticed by my fellow travelers.
Which brings me to my physical therapy appointment. My back is feeling better, but I'm still to take it easy. In fact, I was told to do zero impact exercises. This means more time in the pool and some time on the bike for at least a week, he said, maybe longer.
This is providing the opportunity to learn how to swim properly at my late age, but is frustrating me to no end as that January 9 deadline stares me down.

Please people, post to the blog!!! We, the injured, need your support more than ever!!!!!

A Swimmer's Life for Me!!!!

Well folks, it's been forever since I've logged in here and offered up the story of my existence. And let's just say it's been a rough few weeks. I'll detail it all as follows:

1) I ran a wonderful 9 mile run the day before summer camp, and was very excited to get the chance to run at camp. My run took me from Jacki's house in Milwaukee all the way to New Berlin and back. That's New Burrlin - emphasis on the Burr-, not to be confused with the same city formerly called Neu Berlin. We must distance ourselves from the Nazis, but I digress. It was a sunny day, if a bit warm, and afforded me the chance to do some heat running. halfway through the run I was out of water and feeling pretty parched so I stopped at a gas station to get more water. I, of course, didn't have any money so I asked the guy if he would fill my water bottle. He said, "Out of the faucet? I don't drink tap water in New Burrlin, but I do drink it at home in Mukwonago." (Ever notice how Wisconsin city names sound like those of African-American High Schoolers) Anyway, with a little effort, explaining to him that I was on mile 5 and had more to go, he filled my water bottle and I headed back. I spent the rest of the day a little dehydrated. Definitely an argument for hydration in the heat. I got a little bit of the feeling that Haterella must get running in the L.J.

2) On Sunday of Camp I got the strangest pain in my upper buttocks - right at the top of the crack/bottom of my tattoo - with shooting pains going down the back of my right leg, and wrapping around to the shin. I never felt a thing in my left leg. I went to the nurse - the same Jacki mentioned above - and she prescribed anti-inflammatories in pathetically low doses, but I followed her advice and it did help me stay out of pain for most of the week. Of course, this put me in the wierdest position I've ever been in at camp. I was the cabin leader, already a tough job, and had a camper that I was incapable of lifting. So here I am in a leadership role having to say to Joe, "Joe, it's time for my camper to go to bed, can you do that for me?" I wasn't sure yet what was happening with the leg/back and didn't want to take any risks. So, Joe lifted my camper all week, and I did everything else. With "Don for Scale" here is a picture of my camper, Ramon. You can maybe see how I shouldn't have been lifting him all week. He is a great kid and we had a great time. Someday I'll tell you about the racist fish that was not hanging at the end of that fishing line.

3) After a week at camp I was still in pain, which meant cancelling the run Forrest and I had planned. Of course, he cancelled it as well, so it was really more like we shouldn't have scheduled it in the first place. In a kismet sort of way, we are both having similar back problems. Upon returning to SF I went to the clinic and had an appointment with a doctor about my back. Having had scoliosis for 25 years, I don't usually see a doctor for back pain, but this was one of those times when I didn't know what to do and thought a doctor might be able to help. Well, I still don't think she knew much, but that's just me. She very perfunctorily said I did not have Sciatica because I could still feel my toes. Why thanks, Doc, but I would surely be here to see you long before I lost feeling in my toes, dontcha think? Anyway, guess what I got? A referral to physical therapy!!!!!

4) Yes, I was released from my last round of physical therapy right before camp, and said a near teary good-bye to my therapist who was retiring. Then I was back before he actually left, with yet another problem. He was confused to see me and even asked if he was seeing me as a patient that day. :-) He was a good guy and it was with hesitation that I returned there without him. But the new therapist is great. After 3,000 questions he ascertained that I had a pinched nerve originating at the L5. Labelled "5" in this X-Ray. So he prescribed some exercises and things are already feeling better. One of the biggest things I'm to do is lie down. Can you imagine that? I'm supposed to just lie there. Who does he think he is talking to? I mean, if I'm not running I'd rather be lying down. So, I'm pretty much loving the recovery. Lots of naps. I'll say that.

5) Instead of running for the past week, I have been swimming, again at the Hearst pool, and although I'm still working on my form, I'm getting better and really enjoying it. My last workout was for 24 minutes, and I intend to increase it by 2 minutes everytime I go, until I reach 35 minutes. At 35 minutes I'll work on intensity. In the meantime I continue to work on my form and to try to figure out how to breathe. As a runner it's tough for me to get used to the idea that I can't just gasp anytime I need to. This has been the biggest hurdle. Add to that the fact that Forrest and I learned how to swim in the neighbor's indoor swimming pool, and you have two people that have no idea how to swim competitively, or even gracefully. The widest point in the pool was probably 30 feet long. So, it's going to be a struggle.

Now, I wait for the release of the Speedo+ iPod!!!!!!! Wouldn't that be awesome? It could measure my laps, my pace, my calories, how many times I swallowed someone else's pee, everything!!!!!

THE RECOVERY PLAN:

Tomorrow begins the full-on recovery plan. It will involve continuing my physical therapy, but will be supplemented by some better exercises.

Over the past year we have worked in PT on upper body strength, so that is the new emphasis to cross-training.

1) Swimming: I'll continue to swim 2 days a week at the Hearst Pool.
2) Running: As my back allows I will begin running on Tuesday and increase mileage the best I can.
3) Gymnastics: Starting next week I'll begin taking classes again at Acrosports. I was doing this when I was at SFSU and I loved it. It works the upper body to death and it's something I really enjoy. So, look out. As soon as that first paycheck from Summer Teaching comes in, I am there!!!!!

With all of these combined exercises, I hope to improve my stamina, my running and my injury prevention, while having a good time and enjoying my exercise again. I'll post again next week to update you all to the progress.

In the meantime, get off your asses and at least post to let us know you are still alive!!!!!!